Electronic shelf labels in retail store environments are well known in the art. One major disadvantage of prior systems is that they need some form of manual intervention to ensure that the electronic shelf labels are positioned at the appropriate places on the shelves. Thus, when the items on the shelf are moved for one of several reasons, e.g. store resets, promotional placement, the addition or removal of items, or seasonal changes, then there becomes a need to reconfigure the arrangement of electronic shelf labels on the shelf to exchange the electronic shelf labels to represent the required information. Furthermore, most systems that use electronic shelf labels need to affix some form of printed information over the electronic label to display the non changeable information relating to the item, such as bar code, UPC, stock location, dept, size and description.
Another limitation of existing electronic shelf labels systems is that the display systems used in electronic shelf labels have very limited functionality. In general, they are usually only capable of displaying rudimentary information, such as price and stock quantity and sometimes they are capable of presenting a limited number of specific alphabetic characters to denote words such as “sale”. Further, most display systems used in electronic shelf labels are based on glass cells, which means that they are fragile and have severe limitations for size and ability to withstand the environment of a retail store.
In some retail operations that employ a retail accounting system, there is a requirement to manually count the inventory whenever a price change is executed. Thus, it is a relatively simple matter to adjust labels as a part of this manual counting process. Accordingly, the value of an automatic price update capability is severely limited. What is needed in the art therefore, is a shelf labeling system that is easily adapted to reflect changes in product configuration or in prices and that can also assist in the process of counting products when a price change is executed.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0109593 A1 (Swartzel et al) describes a product information display system that includes an electronic display tag mounted on a product shelf. The display tag includes a display screen having a display width of at least two feet. The display tag is operable to simultaneously display via the display screen at least both a first product and price message for a first product and a second product and price message for a second product which is different than the first product, the first and second product and price messages being displayed in a spaced apart manner. The product information display system can have a controller operable for communication with the tag. A database of stored plan-o-gram information including product facing set up information is provided. The tag and controller are operable in a facing set up mode in which the controller retrieves from the plan-o-gram database product facing set up information, communicates the retrieved information to the tag, and the tag displays facing set up margins on the display screen and product information between the set up margins for communicating shelf facing set up information to a user configuring or checking the product shelf. Thus, the '593 patent allows remote programming of display tags in accordance with assigned products.
The display tag of the '593 application includes an electronic display tag mounted on a product shelf, the display tag including a radio frequency (RF) transceiver means, and a controller operable for communication with the transceiver means. The controller and transceiver means are operable in a product stock check mode in which the transceiver means transmits a localized RF signal for detecting a radio frequency signal generated by a radio frequency transponder associated with a given product. The radio frequency transponder is adapted to generate an identifying signal upon receipt of the localized RF signal. Transponders of this type are well known and commonly referred to as RFID tags. The transceiver means is further operable to communicate to the controller whether or not at least one RFID tag associated with the given product was identified, the controller operable to initiate a restock check signal in the event that no RFID tag associated with the given product is identified by the tag. In certain applications, this restock check signal could be a system-generated message to an on-site or off-site person or persons via a personal pager, wireless telephone text message or email. The controller can be operable to initiate a restock check signal in the event that the number of detected RFID tags associated with the given product falls below a set threshold.
The '593 patent also describes a product information display system that includes an electronic display tag mounted on a product shelf, the display tag having an RF transceiver means. A controller is operable for communication with the RF transceiver means. The controller and RF transceiver means are operable in a targeted merchandising mode in which the controller causes the RF transceiver to transmit a localized RF signal for detecting a consumer RFID tag in an area proximate to the display tag, the tag operable to communicate detected consumer RFID tag information to the controller. The controller is operable to retrieve a targeted consumer message from a database based upon the received consumer RFID tag information and to communicate the targeted consumer message to the tag, the tag operable to display the targeted consumer message received from the controller.
The major deficiency of the '593 patent is that it relies upon the store operations personnel being familiar with the desired stock locations and stocking the shelves appropriately. Using the plan-o-gram feature described in the '593 patent, the system only has the ability to download price information to a predetermined location. However in reality, the operation of the store is such that it is not always possible or desirable to dictate the location of items from a central office. In cases where items are out of stock, it becomes difficult to place substitute items because price information would be incorrect. Also, as frequently happens, items can be moved to alternative locations for cross merchandising purposes, and it may be necessary to deviate from the plan-o-gram so that an appropriate price and other additional information is available.
There is a need for a new display and method for automatically updating product information presented by a shelf display so that the display accurately reflects the actual product that is placed on a shelf.